All my previous posts have moved with us, but the backlinks still come back to Blogger (I think) so I'll keep this place open here, but will no longer be posting to Blogspot.

I hope you will follow us over to WordPress. There is a new header design (which I really like...at the moment!) and hopefully all those who had problems with leaving comments can now do so without hassle.

Please click the "follow" button on the posts to get regular updates of what is going on in the lives of Megan and Alex! It's right at the botton near the info about us.

Well, we did it... survived our first camping trip during ridiculously hot weather and the threat of possible bushfires looming in the background.

The kids loved the whole experience. They did get hot, but it was a great reason to spend loads of time in the pool. (I couldn't convince them into the river, despite my best efforts)

The tent experience was enlightening for us. Mike and I have both been camping before, but testing this particular tent out with the kids showed us that what we have doesn't cut it and we are now researching other brands and designs.

I had thought we had grossly over-packed the amount of camping "stuff", but most of it was used or the potential to use it was there.

We had friends staying nearby which turned out to be fantastic. I had always thought that holidays with friends kind of defeats the purpose of going away- you can spend time with them at home, why travel to hang out? But spending an evening with friends while the kids entertained each other was a great break for us as parents.

Taking the kids' bikes was a GREAT idea, too. Whenever they got underfoot, or bored, we sent them out on their bikes to do laps of the caravan park. Thankfully it was a small, quiet caravan park so they passed us often enough for us to keep an eye on them.

So, all in all, it was a great few days away. Just long enough to enjoy, despite the weather, and we are already planning our next sojourn. Hopefully it will become a regular event on our calendar and maybe even an Easter trip is on the cards.

(I had hoped to add some photos from our time away, but Blogger is being a pain and not letting me upload. Visit me over at http://instagram.com/linbritt/ if you have an Instagram account for the few pics uploaded there. I think the time has come to move on to another spot in cyber-space!)

Thursday, 3 January 2013

It took us a long time to buy Alex a toy weapon. He was using anything as a sword so we capitualted and bought him a foam one.

It was only short-sighted saving of legs and furniture that prompted the purchase. I really didn't want him to have any weapons but since he was determined to use pretend swords regardless of my views, we gave in.

I'm uncertain about our purchase of bubble guns too. We are calling them bubble squirters but Alex is still "killing monsters" with them.

You might be laughing at my reservations of such toys. "They're harmless" I have heard people say a fair bit. But I just don't like the idea of my 3yr old son choosing to hurt or kill something delibertaely, albeit imaginative. (And yes, I'm concerned about Alex coz Megan isn't at all interested)

The recent shooting at an American primary school has prompted much debate about guns in our society, how toys and games innoculate kids against the horror of death and serious injury. I am a very keen anti-gun supporter and am glad Australia is different to America in regards to gun laws.

Many poeple say that guns don't kill, people do. To some extend that is true, but how many 6 yr olds would be dead if that man in America had only a knife instead?

I guess I just want to keep my little boy from thinking it's ok and normal to stab or shoot another human or animal. Maybe he'll never be like that and I'm worrying (and controlling) over nothing.

But I also wonder if the parents of that man in America had the same fears?.......